Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 19th January 2006, 04:36 PM

THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING MAN MADE ARTAFACTS TO BE FOUND IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD THE BEST HUNTING IS AROUND OLD BATTLEFIELDS, DUMPS AND AROUND OLD SETTLEMENTS . THE KEY TO FINDING IRON THAT IS FAIRLY INTACT IS THE SURROUNDINGS, IF THE ARTEFACT IS SEALED IN WHERE NO OXYGEN CAN REACH IT ,RUST FORMS ON THE OUTSIDE BUT WHEN THE OXYGEN IS USED UP DURING THE OXIDATION IT BECOMES STABLE. IRON AND STEEL DETEORATE MUCH FASTER THAN SILVER, BRONZE, COPPER, LEAD OR GOLD SO GENERALLY BETTER ARTEFACTS ARE FOUND IN THE OTHER METALS. SO IN CERTIAN AREAS WHERE THE SOIL ,CLAY OR SURROUNDINGS ARE RIGHT IRON ARTEFACTS WILL SURVIVE, MOST OTHER PLACES THERE WILL BE A LAYER OF RUST IN THE SHAPE OF THE ITEM WHICH IF DONE CAREFULLY CAN BE SAVED BY INCASING IT IN A POLYMER PLASTIC BUT THEY SURE DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH.

I HAVE NEVER HUNTED WITH A METAL DETECTOR BUT KNOW QUITE A FEW WHO DO AND IT IS AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THEY HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS. OFTEN THEY SELL OFF A LOT OF THE LESS INTERESTING STUFF THEY HAVE FOUND TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE, SO A GROUP OF SIMULAR OBJECTS FROM ONE SITE MIGHT SHOW UP. WHEN SO MUCH STUFF IS TO BE FOUND IN THE AMERICAS, WHICH WAS IN THE STONE AGE UP UNTIL ITS FAIRLY RECENT DISCOVERY IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF STUFF TO BE FOUND IN THE OLDER COUNTRYS. LOTS OF HOARDS OF SILVER AND GOLD HAVE BEEN FOUND OVER THE YEARS SO IT IS LIKELY THAT IRON OBJECTS WERE ALSO HIDDEN IN PLACES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND OFTEN LOST IN TIMES OF CONFLICT OR JUST FORGOTTEN SO FINDING A GROUP OF LIKE OBJECTS IS A POSSIBILITY.

THE OTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT OBJECTS COULD EASILY BE RUSTED ARTEFICIALLY FOR SALE IF PRICES WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE. IF THE ARTEFACTS WERE AQUIRED FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN HUNTING WITH A METAL DETECTOR FOR YEARS THEY MIGHT HAVE A BOOK LISTING WHEN AND WHERE THEY FOUND THE ITEMS WHICH COULD ESTABLISH PROVENANCE. BUT EVEN THEN THE OBJECTS COULD HAVE BEEN LEFT THERE IN MORE RECENT TIMES AND NOT DATE TO THE LOCALE WHERE FOUND. A VERY CAREFUL ARCHEOLOGIST COULD PROBABLY TELL BY CHECKING THE LAYERS OF DIRT BUT A METAL DETECTOR HOBBYIST JUST DIGGS IT UP.

19th January 2006, 04:36 PM	#10
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERESTING MAN MADE ARTAFACTS TO BE FOUND IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD THE BEST HUNTING IS AROUND OLD BATTLEFIELDS, DUMPS AND AROUND OLD SETTLEMENTS . THE KEY TO FINDING IRON THAT IS FAIRLY INTACT IS THE SURROUNDINGS, IF THE ARTEFACT IS SEALED IN WHERE NO OXYGEN CAN REACH IT ,RUST FORMS ON THE OUTSIDE BUT WHEN THE OXYGEN IS USED UP DURING THE OXIDATION IT BECOMES STABLE. IRON AND STEEL DETEORATE MUCH FASTER THAN SILVER, BRONZE, COPPER, LEAD OR GOLD SO GENERALLY BETTER ARTEFACTS ARE FOUND IN THE OTHER METALS. SO IN CERTIAN AREAS WHERE THE SOIL ,CLAY OR SURROUNDINGS ARE RIGHT IRON ARTEFACTS WILL SURVIVE, MOST OTHER PLACES THERE WILL BE A LAYER OF RUST IN THE SHAPE OF THE ITEM WHICH IF DONE CAREFULLY CAN BE SAVED BY INCASING IT IN A POLYMER PLASTIC BUT THEY SURE DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH. I HAVE NEVER HUNTED WITH A METAL DETECTOR BUT KNOW QUITE A FEW WHO DO AND IT IS AMAZING THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THEY HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS. OFTEN THEY SELL OFF A LOT OF THE LESS INTERESTING STUFF THEY HAVE FOUND TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE, SO A GROUP OF SIMULAR OBJECTS FROM ONE SITE MIGHT SHOW UP. WHEN SO MUCH STUFF IS TO BE FOUND IN THE AMERICAS, WHICH WAS IN THE STONE AGE UP UNTIL ITS FAIRLY RECENT DISCOVERY IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF STUFF TO BE FOUND IN THE OLDER COUNTRYS. LOTS OF HOARDS OF SILVER AND GOLD HAVE BEEN FOUND OVER THE YEARS SO IT IS LIKELY THAT IRON OBJECTS WERE ALSO HIDDEN IN PLACES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND OFTEN LOST IN TIMES OF CONFLICT OR JUST FORGOTTEN SO FINDING A GROUP OF LIKE OBJECTS IS A POSSIBILITY. THE OTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT OBJECTS COULD EASILY BE RUSTED ARTEFICIALLY FOR SALE IF PRICES WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE. IF THE ARTEFACTS WERE AQUIRED FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN HUNTING WITH A METAL DETECTOR FOR YEARS THEY MIGHT HAVE A BOOK LISTING WHEN AND WHERE THEY FOUND THE ITEMS WHICH COULD ESTABLISH PROVENANCE. BUT EVEN THEN THE OBJECTS COULD HAVE BEEN LEFT THERE IN MORE RECENT TIMES AND NOT DATE TO THE LOCALE WHERE FOUND. A VERY CAREFUL ARCHEOLOGIST COULD PROBABLY TELL BY CHECKING THE LAYERS OF DIRT BUT A METAL DETECTOR HOBBYIST JUST DIGGS IT UP.